Dalai Lama Quotes on Love & Happiness for Your Wedding Ceremony Script

Wedding Ceremony Script Inspiration from The Dalai Lama, taken from The Art of Happiness, The Book of Joy, and other essays

 

 

Infuse your wedding ceremony with moments of joyful celebration and loving reflection with these wise words from The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. If anyone has solid advice on how to celebrate a marriage that's grounded in tolerance and mutual respect, it's this Nobel Peace Prize winner!

 

These quotes describe what it means to build a happy life, and how to care for the happiness of others – especially our spouse. They describe the true purpose of life, how to deal with life’s ups and downs, the gift of gratitude, showing compassion toward our partner, and the importance of cooperation, trust, and kindness in building a lasting marriage.

 

Add these quotes to any wedding ceremony script to create a custom experience. You can include them in the invocation, the wedding officiant’s closing blessing, or add one or two in place of a traditional wedding reading. These sentiments also make great inspiration when it’s time to write your wedding vows. 

 

• Browse free Buddhist Wedding Ceremony Scripts here 

 

• Browse all free AMM Wedding Ceremony Scripts here

 

Next, ask a friend or relative to get ordained online to officiate your wedding ceremony! 

 

 

A happy wedding is the perfect start to a happy marriage

 

8 Quotes on Love & Happiness from the Dalai Lama
Taken from The Art of Happiness, The Book of Joy, and other essays

 

1. The purpose of our lives

 

“...the very purpose of our lives is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life… the very motion of our life is towards happiness…” (Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, p 3)

 

2. Simple desires

 

“From the very core of our being, we simply desire joy and contentment. But so often these feelings are fleeting and hard to find, like a butterfly that lands on us and then flutters away. The ultimate source of happiness is within us.” (Dalai Lama, Arrival, The Book of Joy)

 

3. Well-being and success 

 

“The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.” (Dalai Lama, from an essay found here.)

 

4. Gratitude 

 

“The most important quality to have toward your day is gratitude for what you have experienced, even for what was hard and what allowed you to learn and grow.” (The Book of Joy)

 

5. Our fundamental nature

 

“... our fundamental human nature is one of gentleness. And if this is the case, then it makes all the more sense to try to live a way of life that is more in accordance with this basic gentle nature of our being.” (Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, p 45)

 

 

 

Your wedding ceremony should reflect your values,

the life you've built together, and the future you hope to share 

 

 

6. Building a deepening relationship 

 

"I think that if one is seeking to build a truly satisfying relationship, the best way of bringing this about is to get to know the deeper nature of the person and relate to her or him on that level... And in this type of relationship there is a role for genuine compassion." (Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, p 95)

 

7. Our true values 

 

“Let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that.” (Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, p 55)

 

8. Cooperation, trust, kindheartedness

 

"Cooperation comes from friendship, friendship comes from trust, and trust comes from kindheartedness. Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying, or exploitation; instead, you can be honest, truthful, and transparent in your conduct." (The Dalai Lama with Rasmus Hougaard, from an essay found here.)

 

 

 

 

More Quotes from The Art of Happiness, 
by co-author Howard C. Culter 

 

Need more inspiration? These three quotes were written by The Art of Happiness co-author and renowned psychiatrist Howard C. Culter while working closely with the Dalai Lama. 

 

 

• Definition of love

 

“...one definition of love, and perhaps the most pure and exalted kind of love, is an utter, absolute, and unqualified wish for the happiness of another individual.” (Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness, p 282)

 

 

• Happy state of mind 

 

“...happiness is determined more by one's state of mind than by external events… our moment-to-moment happiness is largely defined by our outlook.” (Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness, p 10)

 

 

• Affection, compassion, and respect 

 

“...we turn once again to the Dalai Lama’s approach to building a strong relationship – basing our relationship on the qualities of affection, compassion, and mutual respect as human beings. Basing a relationship on these qualities enables us to achieve a deep and meaningful bond…”  (Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness, p 105)

 

 

 

Keep reading: 

 

30 Buddhist Quotes on Love & Happiness 
for Your Wedding Ceremony Script

 

 

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You might also like:

 

• Simple Buddhist Chant for Love & Awareness in Your Wedding Ceremony

 

• What is a ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’ Wedding Officiant? And how do you become one?

 

• AMM ordains people of all faiths -- from pagans to monotheists, atheists to agnostics!

 

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